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What Are the CNA Training Requirements?

Your CNA Training Information

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a career after CNA training is a wise choice with ever increasing job opportunities. Not only is a career as a nursing assistant in high demand, it is also one with many opportunities to work in a variety of care situations. As a CNA, you’ll have the possibility of working with the elderly, developmentally disabled, in the emergency room of a hospital, a critical care unit, the pediatrics ward, or even in a home health situation.

Regardless of where you decide to work, one of the best parts of your career after CNA training will be the real sense of satisfaction and making a difference that you will feel. Knowing that your daily interactions with those in need provides them with a better quality of life is extremely rewarding and one of the main reasons why individuals decide to enroll in CNA training, –the first step to this career.

So, what are the requirements to become a certified nursing assistant? Here are the details.

Requirements for CNA Training:

The basic requirement that lead to a career as a professional CNA may vary slightly from state to state, so always consult your state board of nursing for exact guidelines, but they generally include the following:

The potential student should have earned their high school diploma or equivalent by a GED.

In some states, you must be at least 18 years of age.

Enrollment in an accredited community college, university, adult training facility, or program offered through a medical facility that is approved by the state.

Successful completion of a CNA training course. This will usually take between 6 to 12 weeks and involves 75 hours of theoretical training along with 16 hours of hands-on-experience on location at a local hospital or health care center.

Receiving a passing grade for the state examination, which includes written questions along with a certain percentage of the exam dedicated to demonstrating certain tasks in the correct order without missing any steps. For example, you may be asked to demonstrate the steps needed to take a patient’s blood pressure. You’ll be graded on the steps. By missing one of them, such as washing your hands, you may not receive credit for that particular task.

Once you’ve completed CNA training and taken the state exam, you’ll be able to begin your new career. Another requirement, and one that you won’t learn in CNA training classes, is the human element. In order to truly excel in your new career, you’ll need to learn not to allow the stress, the workload, the deadlines or the occasional inconveniences keep you from enjoying your job. CNA training may have prepared you with the information and procedures necessary to become a licensed medical professional, but only you can develop the interpersonal skills needed to make a difference in the lives of the patients you serve. How do you accomplish this? It’s really pretty simple and can be summed up in a sentence. After CNA training, make each patient know that they are special. Whatever task you are currently doing, be all there. Talk with your patients, laugh with them, enjoy your work. That is the key to success in any career and will take you a long way after CNA training.